Did you know that you can use apps on your mobile phone or on a website which transform any text you suggest to them into a speech ? Some websites even provide an .mp3 file which you can download. Most of the time, you can change the voice, and the accent as well. It’s not always convincing in a general manner, but at least it gives you a precise rendition of how each word should be pronounced.

I think these may be precious tools to help you improve the quality of your oral expression, and even your listening comprehension.

When you discover a word in the dictionary and you want to know how to pronounce it, there is a very “simple” tool to use : the phonetic alphabet. You have to get familiar with the symbols and the sound they represent in the first place though… You can find phonetic indications in every dictionary.

Yesterday, a pupil stayed after class and asked me … how he could learn English… I said that there are many ways to do it, and also, that it depends on the learner !

You have to learn the lessons, the vocabulary, you have to participate in class and express yourself in English as often as you can… You can play games, watch movies, documentaries in English, first with French subtitles, then with English subtitles, and then with no subtitles…

A fellow teacher (not an English teacher !) told me about this website, and said it was fun and useful. Try it ! You can play with your friends, or work on your own, it’s up to you !

Did you know that watching movies in the original version is an excellent way to improve your listening skills, and your vocabulary ? You can choose the original version on a DVD for example, or on the internet. But you can also watch films in English at the cinema. At Cinépalmes and Cinécambaie, and sometimes at the Gaumont Lacaze, there are movies in English, with subtitles. For example, next Sunday, at 8:45 pm, you will be able to watch Divergent in English at the Cinépalmes theater.

Be careful though, this movie is intended for people older than 13 (it’s rated PG-13), because it is violent, the subject is complex and there are a few sensual scenes.